


Are They Even Looking?

by Knittingmouse



Category: Jet Set Radio Future
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Kidnapping, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29625084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knittingmouse/pseuds/Knittingmouse
Summary: This started as a oneshot of Yoyo’s point of view after he was kidnapped by the Golden Rhinos and expanded from there.I wrote most of this back in 2011 and recently picked it up again so I figured I’d post it here.
Relationships: Beat/Yoyo
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

It was worse getting caught like that. Not the Yoyo would admit how it happened to anyone, but kidnapped sounded better. It sounded like he didn't go out late and try to screw with the new 'cops' that were after them and he defiantly wasn't knocked on his ass like a punk. That just didn't happen.

"Yeah," Yoyo mused. "Kidnapped sounds way better."

He had listened to the news blast on his pocket radio, all the GGs had one to listen to JSR when they were on the streets. He heard about his 'abduction' and nearly cried, partially from relief that he didn't sound like a punk. He almost broke the radio in frustration not a week later when he heard about the other Yoyo, running around with the Noise Tanks of all people. He screamed at the fake's betrayal.

"It's not me!" he shouted, sinking to his knees. "I'm not a traitor!"

But he felt like he was. As the youngest member of the GGs Yoyo never thought about the stupid decisions he made of how he usually had at least one of the other GGs to back him up. Now his reckless cockiness almost ruined the GGs. He wished Beat was here to beat some sense into him or yell at him or something, anything. Beat was good at that. Or maybe it was because Yoyo had the biggest crush on the older skater and wanted Beat to think he was cool, or at least not a punk who needed to be bailed out all the time.

It wasn't long after fake Yoyo was revealed to be a Noise Tank in disguise that Yoyo's batteries died. He was officially alone with no way of knowing if his friends were even still looking for him, though why would they after all that had happened. He doubted he was worth it.

Yoyo remembered getting pissed at the thought. How dare they abandon him like this? Was he really worth so little to the GGs? He threw the radio out of his cage, watched it sail over the edge and, after a moment, heard it shatter when it hit the ground. Fuck.

He slept a lot after that, there was nothing else to do and the Golden Rhinos barely feed him half the time so it kept his mind off of his hunger. He had reached the point were he no longer cared if his friends came and rescued him or if he died. He just wanted it to happen soon. Though his delirious mind had no idea how soon that was.

Curling into a tight ball on the floor of his cage Yoyo stared at his sock clad feet, for the first time truly not missing the feel of his skates. He pulled his hood over his head and closed his eyes behind his shades, welcoming the darkness with the hope that this would be the last time


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Shit was the first word to come to mind when Beat saw the mask fall from the Noise Tank's face. He spoke it after he won the game of tagger's tag and the worthless robots all exploded. He slammed his fist to the chain fence in Sky Dinosaurian Square, a loud "shit" punctuating each blow, startling the pedestrians. He spun when he felt a hand on his shoulder, ready to punch someone out.

Corn grabbed his wrist before he could land the blow, twisting his arm behind his back.

"Come on man," he hissed at Beat. "Chill the fuck out."

Beat glared. "Why should I?" Beat had been hoping that Yoyo had been the traitor, he was brainwashed or something, so Beat could punch him in the face and get him back to normal or at least demand an explanation. This imposter set up just proved that he was a victim and highlighted Beat's failure in protecting the little dude.

Gum stepped up. "It's not your fault he got taken."

"Yeah," Corn agreed, crossing his arms with a glare. "Little bastard deserved it. Going after the Rhinos like that what was he expecting?"

In the next second Corn was on the ground, clutching his nose as blood oozed from between his fingers.

"Don't call him a bastard," Beat growled, standing over Corn's prone form.

Gum pulled Beat away and helped Corn up. "Guys, fighting isn't going to get us anywhere. We still need to find the real Yoyo and get him back."

"If it's worth it," Corm mumbled.

Beat jumped at him, but Gum stood between them, hands outstretched. "We'll find him," she said, more to reassure Beat than anything. He had been losing it since Yoyo vanished. "Besides, we can't let the Rhinos think they got one over on us." She directed this to Corn.

Corn nodded slightly and turned. "Start in the morning," he said, skating in the direction of the garage.

Beat stared after him. Gum Placed an hand on his shoulder.

"We will find him. Corn may act like an asshole, but he really does care for the kid."

Beat snorted.

"You know if you get this torn up every time something happens to the kid he is going to become a target, right?"

Beat swallowed, discomfort feasting on the thought. "I'll protect him," he said after a moment.

"Does he know?" Gum stared into Beat's eyes, obscured by his shades.

He looked away. "He wants to prove he is more than just a punk."

"That's not what I…" she started, but Beat waved her off and headed back to the garage.

Gum sighed. Boys were so useless


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

It only took like two days for the anti graffiti signs to go up all over the entire city. They covered every surface that wasn't being used for an ad for something, from the walls to the sidewalk, and the Rokkaku police was arresting everyone that so much as scuffed them. Or at least that's what Corn was telling everyone at the garage.

"Some poor old bag was peeling 'em off the benches at Shibuya terminal, cause they were sticking to her ass while she waited for the bus of somethin'. Rokkaku slapped cuffs on her before she got halfway done with the seat. Shit's brutal." Corn stood on his couch as he recounted the tale to everyone that would safety's sake you'd be crqzy not to though.

Gum was leaning against the rail, picking at her nails while Corn carried on dramatically. She glaced at Beat, who was pacing by Potts' kennel. He had taken up responsiblity for the dog after Yoyo disappeared.

"What do we do about the anti graffiti then?" she asked, like it was a question any of them needed answered. Sometimes Corn needed to be reminded that he was in charge.

Cube laughed from her perch on top of the speskers which were still pumping out a low beat, though no one cared enough to listen to the tunes. "What would we do if it was anyone else rashing our turf?"

Corn grinned. "We fuck 'em up and get back what's ours." The grin was almost maniacal. "Show them that the GG's on't run from a fight."

Gum agreed, though she didn't voice the thought. She knew what was coming next.

"And what about Yoyo, huh?" Beat demanded, spinning to face Corn.

Corn didn't turn around as he addressed Beat. "What about him?"

"Are we just gonna let him rot in whatever hellhole he's in right now?"

"The bastard got caught on his own he can get out on his own. He's not the only dude here and he's ot the one that gonna stop the rest of us from doing what needs to be done" Corn said decisively.

Beat grumbled and skated away, fists clenched. Gum felt for him, but they needed to get their turf back too. Yoyo would have to wait.

Corn started passing out locations to tag. "Combo you take Shibuya, home field and all. Take..." He waved a hand lazily. "Take Boogie with you. Gum and I got Dogenzaka Hill. Unless someone wants to pull their head out of their ass?"

Beat flipped him off without turning.

Corn grinned back. "Well then let's go people. We got tags to do and asses to kick."

Rhyth slid over to Beat as the rest of the group disperced. "You know, I'm from Rokkaku Dai Heights. We could head that way and see if there's any clues to where Yoyo might be. Together I mean." She blushed and looked away.

Beat shrugged. It was no secret that Rhyth was crushing on the he could reunite the punk with his girlfriend and squash his own feelings at the same time Sounded like a plan.

"Sure. Yeah, lets go."

Rhyth beamed as they headed off. Beat didn't like it, but it Beat sitting around doing nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

Beat and Rhyth made good time on their way to Rokkaku Dai Heights and thankfully Rhyth had stayed quiet most of the trip. Beat wasn't sure he could deal with her gushing about her missing boy toy while his own insides were clinching with concern.

"Hey look!" Rhyth pointed to a figure tagging one of the walls near the tunnel from the garage.

The figure took off without a glance up and Beat started to give chase but Rhyth's hand on his arm stopped him. She wordlessly pointed to the tag on the wall. It looked vaguely robotic with the too perfect circles and tiny details that a normal artist might struggle with. Beat didn't but someone else might.

"What the fuck?" He stared at the black markings. "Let's cover this trash."

Rhyth agreed, tossing him a can. They each took a side, hers vibrant blues and curved lines and his flashy pinks and lots of angles before they met in the middle to make a purple disaster that was half lightening and half tsunami. It reflected them both perfectly.

Rhyth loved tagging with Beat because of how well their aesthetics meshed. He wondered absently what her tags with Yoyo looked like and if he had ever seen them in the wild. It was rare that Yoyo went without him.

As they continued farther into the neighborhood Rhyth started chattering about the tagger. "It almost felt like he was waiting for us," she was saying. "Didn't it?"

Beat shrugged. But the idea was firmly planted in his head. It sounded crazy. They weren't that important, but how long had Yoyo been gone? Was this connected? Someone trying to steal turf while the GG's were distracted. Beat didn't want to think that Corn was right but his focus on Yoyo might not be helping the group.

"There's another!" Rhyth skated over to the side of the old train station. This one was larger and covered the whole wall with the same black and white patterns.

Beat slid beside her, paint already in hand. "We should cover this one too. Can't let anyone think we're gonna let this slide."

Rhyth grinned. They covered the tag and four more like it before they headed back to the garage. It was starting to get dark and they had nothing to show for it.

Corn was ready to fight when they got back. "Dude what the fuck is your problem?" He swung at Beat, missing by a mile but only because Beat had crouched to pet Potts before he saw Corn.

He raised his fists as Corn faced him again. "My problem? You're the asshole throwing punches!"

Corn glared, but Gum was the one who spoke next. "We ran into some new tags and the guy spraying them looked just like you. We tried to chase him down but we lost him."

"We found new tags too!" Rhyth chimed in. "I guess he did look kinda like Beat, but it was kinda far."

Beat glanced at Rhyth with a disgusted look. "He looked nothing like me!"

Rhyth shrugged.

"Hey guys?" Cube had moved away from the speakers with a larger scruffy guys behind her. "This guy says he knows something about Yoyo.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
"So what do you know?" Corn asked, crossing his arms as he looked the newcomer up and down in disinterest. He leaned forward against the railing of the second floor of the garage.

The guy smirked as he tucked his hands into the pocket of his giant red hoodie. "I know that info isn't free on the streets" He flicked his head to the side to move his hair out of his eyes.

Beat growled and grabbed the front of the guy's hoodie. "I won't knock you're lights out and we'll call it even"

"Dude chill," the guy laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I'll tell you were they're keeping your boyfriend."

Beat jerked back, releasing the hoodie. He glanced quickly at the other GG's but no one seemed phased.

Gum skated between them, pushing Beat aside with a soft tap on his arm. "So tell us what you know then."

Beat skated over to Potts kennel with a scowl. His goggles did a decent job of hiding the glare but he was trying to light this guy on fire with his eyes.

"So we're not even going to do introductions then? I guess no one was taught any manners." The guy crossed his arms and flicked his head again. "The names Clutch and I'm the expert on the Fortified Residental Zone where the Rhinos are keeping your boy."

Corn turned to the group, pointing with each name. "Combo, Rhyth and..."

"I'm going," Beat interjected. He skated back to the others, pushing close to Gum.

Corn dismissed him with a hand wave. "...Boogie," he continued. "You guys check the place out with our new buddy Clutch." He turned to Beat. "You need to hang back until you learn to chill, man. Fuck, if everybody didn't know about your baby crush on the kid they will with the way you keep broadcasting it. You might as well take out an ad with Dj Professor K and we can take bets on how often he gets jumped."

Beat clenched his fists and took off down the ramp and out of the garage. Corn snorted as he watched him go.

"You better not be lyin' about the kid," he said to Clutch. "Or your gonna find out how fucked up we can be when we're lookin' out for our own."

Clutch shook his head. "Saw him myself. I mean it was on a security screen but..."

"Wait..." Rhyth glanced from Clutch to Corn, her lip trembling in newfound concern. "You didn't even see him in person? So it could be an old video or something?"

"It's not old," Clutch defended. "I'm in and out of the Zone all the time and I know that it's real time. He moves and stuff."

Corn moved away from the railing. "Well then what are we waiting for?" He pushed himself off the drop to the landing and down the ramp to the first floor. "Let's get moving!" He shouted behind him as he followed Beat's path into Dogenzaka Hill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the writing quality is changing over the course of this and I am having to wiki a lot about the game because I just don’t remember it very well but I really do intent to finish it. I have most of the plot drafted out but I’m not going to promise when anything will get posted.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
Corn caught up to Beat fairly quickly and with a burst of speed slid next to him and shoulder checked him to the ground. Beat tumbled onto his butt and kicked at his attacker.

"Fuck you!" He shouted at Corn. "What the hell was that for?"

Corn skated a lazy circle just out of Beat's reach. "Get up," he hissed, eying the pedestrians across the street.

"Fuck off," Beat grumbled, shifting forward and back onto his skates.

"You really gonna have a tantrum here with all these witnesses?" Corn shoved Beat as soon as he stood. "Or are you going to use your head for once? I get this whole group thing is new for you so I'll break it down nice and slow." Corn pointed the the group of shoppers that were no longer being subtle as they watched the altercation. "Every asshole not in skates is watching and listening. And everything they see they tell Hayashi. You think it's a coincidence that Yoyo got got? That the guy that is spraying those freaky tags and cause if trouble in everyone's turf looks like the one asshole most likely to go off the rails when that happens?" Corn's voice got quieter and harsher as he spoke. He clenched his fists by his sides as he leaned closer still speaking. "That Noice Tank they had made up to look like Yoyo didn't just show up over night and I bet if we hadn't unmasked it so fast this new thing would look way more like someone we both know."

Beat struggled to find something to say.

Corn stopped circling Beat and pointed a skate toward the street. "We should head back before someone calls the cops on us."

He left without seeing if Beat was behind him. He would be. Deep down he know that Corn was right, about people watching them, the fake Yoyo and everything else. That's why Corn was the leader. And Beat would never admit it but that was part of the reason he joined up in the first place. The other reason had blond hair, a mischievous smile and actually beat him in a race on his own turf.

They had barely made it into the rows of old warehouses when loud angry voices floated in the air. At first it was hard to make out the words but Beat kept pace with Corn as he sped up toward the garage and gradually the words filtered through.

"...wasn't like that!"

"Then what was..."

"...not lying. I swear it's true!"

"We'll see when Corn gets back! You better hope he believes your bullshit."

That last voice was definitely Combo. Had they gotten back from the Fortified Residential Zone already? Beat zeroed in on Rhyth holding a very familiar pair of yellow skates. But no Yoyo. Fuck.

Corn didn't wait for them to notice him. "Shut the fuck up!"

Rhyth jumped, almost dropping the skates.

"You dumb fucks want the Rhinos to get called here or what? Get inside!" Corn skated up the ramp passed the loading dock and into the warehouse the group called home.

Beat followed behind the rest of the group, the question of where Yoyo was lingering in the back of his mind. It sounded like the plan went bad, but did that mean that Yoyo was okay or was he not even in the Fortified Residential Zone anymore.

Corn skated up the ramp to the stage that was build in the center of the room and collapsed on the couch, leaning his head back against the railing with his eyes closed for a moment. Sitting upright again he steepled his fingers and rested his elbows on his knees. "Okay, so what the fuck happened in the last 20 ish minutes?"

Clutch started to speak but Combo grabbed his shoulder and pushed him to the side. "It was a trap or somethin' and this motherfucker lead us right to it."

"It wasn't like that!" Clutch protested, but Corn waved his objections away.

"Explain."

Boogie pushed passed Clutch. "There was a bomb. The whole place is rigged up so as soon as someone goes through the security door the timer starts."

Beat stared at the skates again. The Rhinos must have been expecting them sooner, maybe even before the fake Yoyo showed up if they took his skates and set up a bomb. They didn't want Yoyo to try and run, or they didn't want him to live if he tried. Beat looked up at Corn, who met his eye as he glanced over the Rudies and rethought his plan. Combo was the best fighters so he could take out any Rhinos and Boogie was fast but she wouldn't be able to lift Yoyo if he couldn't get out on his own. And without his skates it was doubtful he could. Which left one person.

"We need to go big then if we want the kid back. Roboy will handle the bomb and Combo, Boogie and I will keep the guys with guns out of his way. Cube, Gum, Rhyth? You watch are buddy here," a hand gesture at Clutch, " and make sure he isnt gonna try anything." He looked at Beat. "You're on babysitting duty. Get the kid and get out. Any Rhinos get in any bodies way you you show them why the GG's aren't to be fucked with. This has gone on too long. Now let's get moving."

Gum turned on the Roboy robot and Rhyth disappeared in the direction of Yoyo's room. Beat felt tense, ready to shake out of his skin. He curled and uncurled his fingers while he waited for Gum to bring Roboy over and the group could head to the Fortified Residential Zone. The longest two weeks of Beat's life was almost over. He was so close to being back, being safe.

Corn lead the way to the Fortified Residential Zone, but Beat was almost his shadow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep thinking that there only going to be one chapter left and then I start writing and it’s more than a chapter. But I’m enjoying the story and I hope the handful of people that have checked it out are also enjoying it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
The security office just outside the Zone was manned by a bored Rokkaku grunt who flipped through camera views idly. He never saw the punch Corn gave him coming. Corn pushed him into the corner and hit the button that opened the gate, strobe flashing and alarm honking.

"Way easier this way," Combo grumbled.

Boogie laughed. "Ya don't like the trick jumps over the fence?" She teased. "Thought that was ya thing?"

Combo grumbled again in response as he headed into the Zone. He pointed out the wires and the countdown timer to Roboy.

Beat slid passed Corn, looking for Yoyo across the array of angles that covered most of the Zone. He saw Combo and Roboy on the lowest level, Roboy had removed a panel from the countdown clock and was pointing at the wires that trailed out of it. Beat swapped cameras. No Yoyo, no Yoyo, still no Yoyo, wait. There was a second bomb? Kicking the desk in his haste Beat used the door frame to propel himself out of the room.

"There's a second bomb!" He yelled. "Upstairs!"

Corn whipped around then glanced toward the stairs, mentally following the wires and the switches the three of them had already found. Roboy disconnected the last internal wire and the timer went dark. A beep echoed in the distance.

"Spread out. Find the second bomb." Corn ordered waving a hand toward the stairs.

Boogie and Combo grinded the railing and disappeared upstairs with Roboy lumbering behind them. Beat started to follow but Corn grabbed his arm spinning Beat to face him.

"You find the kid on the cameras?"

Beat nodded. "Think so. Found a cage on the top floor. But I didn't see anyone in it."

Corn frowned. "Don't wait. Head straight up and check."

Beat grinded the railed and passed where Roboy was working on the new bomb.

"Got one!" Boogie yelled from somewhere to his left.

Combo was scaling a pile off to the right, following a trail of wires.

Beat ride another rail and jumped from one set of stairs to another, up and up til he was almost at the top. He could see the cage hanging above him. He also saw some Rokkaku police waiting on the other side of the catwalk he was on. There were two, with guns, almost directly below the platform the cage was hanging from. Two sets of stairs and two sets of guns were all that was between him and Yoyo. He pulled a spray can from his pocket, flipping the cap off with his thumb. A pause, watching the guards talk with guns loosely hanging from their hands. Beat skated closer slowly, crouched, finger on the button of the spray can. A face full of paint to the closer one who fired wildly into the air as Beat spun him and pushed him intro the other guard. Both fell into a heap against one of the crates that acted as a wall down the middle of the platform.

Using the toe of his skate Beat carefully kicked the guns away from the police. Glancing over the edge, he looked down to check on the group then up to judge how much farther to Yoyo's platform. With a few well timed jumps he could skip the stairs and go straight across the open air. He used the crates as a jumping off point and tried not to think about the bones he would break if he fell.

The sound started as he landed the last jump but it took him a moment to mentally place the helicopter engine before is lowered into the empty skylight and hovered level with Beat.

"Fuck!" He screamed as he dove for cover behind some of the metal shipping containers stacked near the wall. Bullets rained pieces of concrete on his head. Thankfully his headphones and goggles gave him some protection, but not enough to take on an attack helicopter. Whirring, the gun slowed to a stop but the oppressive sound of the blades was still present.

As Beat started to lean out the gun started up again, firing in the different direction. He couldn't see, but he knew the helicopter was aiming at the other rudies. Either they had forgotten he was there or had hoped they hit him and changed targets. Thinking fast he looked for something he could use. He had a few more cans of spray paint but he doubted he could get close enough to use them. A decent throw might get a can into the blades but this isn't an action flick so Beat doubted it would explode in a cool way. If didn't hurt to try.

Moving out of his cover he tossed the can in the helicopter's direction. Bouncing on the metal grating it missed by at least six feet.

Hanging his head Beat groaned and threaded his fingers through his hair, pressing his palms to his goggles. The helicopter turned again, but the movement put it too close to the cage and the blades clipped the chain it was suspended by. Over correcting it drifted back and forth dangerously and tapped a beam on the suspension bridge on its other side. In slow motion Beat watched the helicopter land hard and tip back, disappearing over the edge. He rushed to the side, Boogie materializing with him and they watched the fireball that used to be a helicopter.

"Get over here!" Corn called.

Combo was pulling the cage lower, the chain cranking slowly. Beat skated over as the cage reached eye level. His blue sweatshirt hood obscuring his face, Yoyo lay fetal with his back pressed against the chain link wall. There was a hole in his left sock, Beat remembered him complaining about and now all he could think about it was making sure he got new socks.

Corn yanked on the padlock angrily. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Roboy moved closer, crushing the lock smoothly and pulling the door open. Corn yanked at it and pulled Yoyo into his arms. Beat watched his head loll to the side as Corn moved him from the cage and onto the floor.

"He's breathing," he sighed and Beat released the breathe he didn't realize he was holding. Corn glanced across the group before turning to Beat. "Take off your skates."

Beat jumped, looking at Corn. "What?"

"Take...off...your...skates," Corn repeated slowly.

Boogie was at his side, pulling his headphones off. Beat jerked away, pushing her hands back. "What the fuck!"

Combo put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax man, we're not trying to mess with you."

Beat glared at him, turning his gaze to Corn.

Corn held Yoyo gently and pressed his body into Beat's arms. "He needs a hospital. You're the fastest." He didn't add that they all knew hospitals refused to help any of the skaters.

Beat nodded and kicked off his skates as Boogie took his headphones and googles. Combo grabbed his skates. Beat ran.


End file.
